The fifth annual Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair opens on 4 October in Manchester, featuring over 150 exhibitors and presenting the work of both new and established designer-makers.
For the first time, this year the four-day event will include a talks series, which will take place at the People’s History Museum, a short walk from the GNCCF marquee in Spinningfields.
On Friday, embroiderer Louise Gardiner will talk about her five-piece installation for COLLECT at the Saatchi Gallery. Saturday sees ceramicist Sharon Blakey talking about her Mary Mary Quite Contrary research project and collection, inspired by the Mary Greg Collection of Handicrafts of Bygone Times based at Manchester Art Gallery. And on Sunday, Maureen Brampton, director of the Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool, will talk about collecting contemporary craft.
Angela Mann, who with Ann-Marie Franey is the co-organiser of the fair, said: “The motivation behind the event comes from our personal passion for contemporary craft and our love of the North. We hope visitors find pieces to treasure, from the functional to the purely aesthetic, and enjoy the experience of buying them direct from the people who made them.”
The fair includes a wide range of contemporary craft, including textiles, wood and furniture, lighting, mixed media, metal, jewellery, glass, ceramics, basketry and paper. The exhibitors at this year’s fair were selected by a panel of judges including Andrea Nixon, executive director of Tate Liverpool; David Sanderson, professor of ceramic design at Staffordshire University; Hannah Obee, special collections curator at Chatsworth House; Moira Stephenson, collector and former director of Manchester Art Gallery, and Ellie Tennant, freelance interiors journalist.
Also featured at the fair is the Great Northern Graduates stand, showcasing the work of recent graduates, and a stand dedicated to alumni from the Craft Council’s Hothouse programme, which supports makers in the early stages of their practice.
The Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair, 4-7 October, Spinningfields, Manchester. For opening times, prices and more information visit www.greatnorthernevents.co.uk
